In copending application Ser. No. 687,777 filed Dec. 31, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,923 there is described an apparatus and process for providing in a punch press operation a precisely dimensioned truly perpendicular side edge on a flat workpiece. In that process, the die has a facial contour located immediately upstream of a continuous shaving edge which draws the shavings away from the workpiece to avoid the establishing of stresses in the workpiece as had been the case in prior art die cutting operations.
While that earlier process has been used successfully in the formation of perpendicular sides on workpieces in punch press operations, it would be desirable to use the same basic process to shave extremely hard metals and still provide precisely dimensioned finished parts which do not require subsequent heat treatment or other flattening operations.